Press Events

Press Events

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Tuesday, July 22, 2014, 15:00 - 16:00

"Nominating Article 9 for Nobel Peace Prize" Hiroyuki Konishi, Tomoko Abe, Shoichi Kondo, Kaoru Tashiro & Yoshiko KiraLanguage: The speech and Q & A will be in Japanese with English interpretation

On July 1, the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe decided upon a re-interpretation of the war-renouncing Article 9 of Japan's Constitution to allow Japan the right to collective defense. Critics of the government's move – and there are many – claim that making this decision without a referendum violates the Constitution and therefore is invalid. One man felt so strongly about Abe's move, he set himself alight outside Shinjuku Station.

Prior to Abe's move in May of this year, a petition was submitted to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee to honor the "Japanese(people) who have maintained the pacifist Constitution for 68 years." The petition was signed by 60 members of the Diet.

Democratic Party lawmaker Hiroyuki Konishi will bring a group of four politicians to the FCCJ to speak out against the government's reinterpretation of the Constitution. Joining him are Kaoru Tashiro and Shoichi Kondo – also of the Democratic Party – and independent Tomoko Abe.

Please reserve in advance, 3211-3161 or on the website (still & TV cameras inclusive). Reservations and cancellations are not complete without confirmation.